well the whole truth (is like the story of a wave unfurled)

[tintila]

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[suetekh]

[Talking to trees? Could trees talk? He'd have to ask Thoth. But she is right, she is doomed to perplex him. He thinks for a second and decides to tell her:] My elder brother, before I felled him, was the god of agriculture. He would help the humans to grow their crops. [Not the same but at least something they can almost have in common.]

Yes. Smaller ones. And ones with no arms or legs. Those are snakes. They can be dangerous themselves, filled with poison.

[tintila]

Oh. We have helped men to grow their crops before. We have special seeds that can grow in a night from seed to crop. [Even though it is clearly awful that this brother is dead, Mithiel is relieved to finally find some common ground. Even if it is with someone she will never meet.]

Oh we have serpents as well. Some in the sea and rivers, some on land. Many beneath the ground in the deepest places of the earth. Or so they say. As you can imagine I have no gone tunnelling miles beneath the ground.

[suetekh]

You still seem more like a god to me. [From the way she talked, this was how it seemed.]

It seems we are not completely without our similarities. May that be some comfort for you, I suppose.

[tintila]

Men would agree, and a few egotistical elves but I promise we are lesser beings compared to others we know. But perhaps it is the closest comparison for here if you have only men and no elves.

I think the differences are vast but the similarities are numerous. I do take comfort in that. Though hopefully I will not discover too many nameless beasts. They sound horrible.

[suetekh]

But men do not pray to you, do they? Mortals here, they come to us gods with wants. For their crops, for wealth, their health...they are helpless without us. [But it was his job to do what he could. A job he had never taken too seriously before now. Yet here he was.]

Comforts do not come easy in this world. Or yours, it seems. Take what you can and be grateful. [It comes off as if he is telling her she is being ungrateful but that wasn't it. If she took it as that, it wouldn't be the first time somebody misunderstood him. Simply, Set was bad at conversation. Something Mithiel must have noticed by now.]

[tintila]

No. At least I do not think any do. Perhaps there are some who idolise the more famous of my kind? [She has to wonder. There were many fell men who seemed easily turned astray.] There is not much prayer in general. Worship was never a part of the gift of life in my world. We do help men when we can though. We have fed them and clothed them, taught them where they would let us.

[He gets a small but very sharply raised eyebrow.] I am. I was grateful every day of my long life. [And look what it got her.]

[suetekh]

When they let you? They do not always accept your help? [All humans ever wanted was the gods' help...]

I only mean take pleasures when there is something in your day that works out well.

[tintila]

Do you not know of the concept of pride? Hubris has been the downfall of many a child of Eru, be they elf or man or dwarf. Or Vala, I suppose. Morgoth did possess all together too much pride.

I have always tried to do just that. A simple blossom can brighten an otherwise grey day.

[suetekh]

I do not know pride when it comes to man and them needing us. They are never too proud to ask for us. They ask for us too much, if you ask my opinion. [If only he knew that one day men would rule themselves. He'd never believe it.]

I am never that grateful. I guess I am grateful for...having chances.

[tintila]

Our men are quite full of it. Some of them disdain us. Almost all Dwarves do, though they are... different to the other children of Eru. Elves are too perfect in their young eyes. Too "blessed", too gifted and long lived, so on and so forth. They see our immortality and grow green with envy even though theirs is supposed to be a better gift while we are tied to the world until it unravels and will then be gone forever. They are the ones for whom Eru has some mysterious plan.

So perhaps do not be too upset that they ask for help. It will probably not last. It did not with us, though the first men adored us and often asked.

There is always a new dawn and new chances to appreciate the small things.

[suetekh]

Our mortals simply understand they are not allowed our lives. But in death, they will find immortality. A world different than this.

Your men seem very full of it. But our men need to be far less dependent.

[tintila]

I do not think anyone knows what comes to men in the life after this in my own home. It is their gift, but it is a secret thing.

They are quite stubborn. [A beat passes, then she adds:] and also very hairy. They grow these pokey, long beards... my people never grow such bushes on their faces it is very strange. [Woman from race that does not age does not understand body hair: a novel.] And on their arms, actually. And also their legs. Perhaps elsewhere? They are bear like in more than their stubbornness.

[suetekh]

Why are you not allowed to know? Why keep anything hidden...? [Though for Set, he is so used to being a god and knowing all. Even if his knowledge is still limited, was for years, and he knows he is still in the dark about many things. But not about what waits for man, for him, after death.]

Our men share this in common. We do not have hair like they do. Usually they must shave so much of it off, usually the hair on their heads. [The struggle of ancient civilization and lice and other bugs.] Seems a waste to have hair like it.

[tintila]

I imagine we would know if we were allowed. It is said that not even the Valar truly know. Only The One. I will not pretend to understand why it is so. We know so much else that it seems petty to withhold the information, especially when it makes men jealous of our long lives.

What is shaving? I do not think I have seen our men do that, though I suppose little would surprise me at this point. But their ears would freeze if they lacked hair entirely.

[suetekh]

If your men look to you for answers then your Valar should tell you. It is stupid not to. [Is that offensive? Set has gotten better at being mindful of what he says but little things like that slip through.]

You take a blade to your skin to remove the hair. Our men get bugs in their hair.

[tintila]

They do not know. Only Eru does, at least that is what we are told. I suppose I do not know. It is not as thought I have ever met a Vala, our queen was a Maia. Much lesser than the Valar but much greater than us, the children.

I do not think my hair has ever been cut. Nor has it had a problem with insects. Though I have sheltered many a leaf or flower by accident in my waves.

[suetekh]

Your people are too difficult. It should be gods and men. [Says Set with his simple mind.] It would make situations easier to understand. [As if anybody but him is having a hard time understanding.]

Mine grows and stays at the length I want. [It probably had something to do with being a god but he's never put much thought to it. A running theme.] The insects in men's hair live there.

[tintila]

If I ever see another elf I will let them know that the mighty Set thinks we should not exist. [Her tone is perhaps a bit too cheerful as she replies, not bothering to look at him but still admiring the creatures of the nile and everything else new and interesting that caught her eye.

Her nose does wrinkle at the idea of insects living in hair.]

I assume these are not pretty things like butterflies. My hair goes past my backside when it is unbraided. I have never put much thought into why it sometimes grows and does not. Though I suppose if I sang to it it would grow.

[suetekh]

[When she says that, he realizes wait. Wait. That is not what he meant for. He was supposed to be getting better about this.] I did not mean that.

[Set is awkwardly silent as he tries to figure out what to follow that up with. Thoth had told him to behave with this guest of theirs and he would try. It was a difficult balancing act. Keep up his act as the cruel tyrant and yet be a nice host. How was he supposed to do both?]

I only meant that miscommunication seems to keep happening because there are so many types where you live.

[tintila]

Even if you did you would not be the first to think so. Nor would you be the worst. [It was hard to be offended when you had spent the long centuries of your life under the shadow of Morgoth and his monsters, some of which he had carved from your own people.]

I am not upset with you. Just so you know.

Though if you think I am troublesome, it is a pity I could not have brought along a dwarf...

[suetekh]

Thoth needs no more reason to be so excited. But it is the first time in a long while that he is this happy. To learn something new.

[And that was good for him, Set thought.]

Your kind deserves to exist. I may not know much but I do consider that to be a truth.

[tintila]

I am glad. I think I will enjoy his company.

[For that kindness he gets a smile, a true one, and a fleeting squeeze of his hand.]

I am sure we could be good friends, you and I.

[suetekh]

I do not have friends.

[And he never has.]

[tintila]

Well you do now.

[She gently bumps her shoulder into his.]

You will have to get used to it.

[suetekh]

How would I have the time? I am a king.

[And kings famously never have friends. Honestly Set doesn't think he could do both. Have a friend and be king and the obvious answer is to choose being a king.]